Lebbiea (Podostemaceae-Podostemoideae), a new, nearly extinct genus with foliose tepals, in Sierra Leone

Lebbiea grandiflora (Podostemaceae), a rheophytic herb from the Sewa River rapids in Sierra Leone, is described as a new species. It is the first new African genus of Podostemaceae published for 30 years. First collected in May 2017, the species is assessed as Critically Endangered using the IUCN 20...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2018-10, Vol.13 (10), p.e0203603-e0203603
Main Authors: Cheek, Martin, Lebbie, Aiah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alluvial deposits
Bifurcations
Biodiversity
Biology and Life Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences
Diamonds
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Endangered & extinct species
Endangered species
Environmental impact
Fruits
Gold
Gravel
Hydroelectric dams
Identification and classification
Medicine and Health Sciences
Mining
Morphology
New genera
New species
People and places
Physical characteristics
Podostemaceae
Rapids
Rivers
Rosidae
Species extinction
Stigmas (botany)
Substrates
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Summary:Lebbiea grandiflora (Podostemaceae), a rheophytic herb from the Sewa River rapids in Sierra Leone, is described as a new species. It is the first new African genus of Podostemaceae published for 30 years. First collected in May 2017, the species is assessed as Critically Endangered using the IUCN 2012 standard. It is on the edge of extinction with a small population at a single site threatened by deposition of gravel and sand from alluvial gold and diamond mining upstream, and a planned hydro-electric dam. The new genus is unique in Podostemaceae in a) its highly developed and robust style-stigma structure in which the bases of the two style-stigmas unite to form a bifurcate funneliform-cylindrical structure, with a reflexed, blade-like apex that extends half-way around the perimeter of the ovary-fruit towards the base of the ovary-fruit, b) a specialised andropodium, with robust, self-supporting capacity, having differentiated thickened central, and angled, thinner marginal areas (in other Podostemaceae the andropodial structures are undifferentiated), c) the pillar-like haptera which completely elevate the crustose root above the substrate. Lebbiea is placed in Podostemoideae, necessitating amplification of the delimitation of that subfamily in which it is additionally unique in having the foliose tepals characteristic of the basal subfamilies Weddellinoideae and Tristichoideae.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0203603